Cucumbers All Year Round

30.11.2017

Siggpac has been growing cucumbers in Närpes since 1988, and thanks to modern greenhouses, cultivation goes on all year round. The harvest is about 18 million kilograms per year and the goal is continued growth.

Jan-Erik Sigg grew up with cucumbers and tomatoes because his parents cultivated them. For him, it was a natural step to pursue the same path and Siggpac was launched in 1987, when a greenhouse that was for sale caught Sigg’s eye.

In recent years, the company’s activities have developed rapidly. Today, an area of 93 000 square meters is under cultivation, and it has grown considerably since its start 30 years ago.

Siggpac has 130 year-round employees, but in summer that number rises to 150 employees thanks to schoolchildren looking for summer jobs.

”It is important to be able to offer work. You cannot only think of yourself. Since we grow all year round nowadays, these are also secure jobs. You need your wages every month”, says Jan-Erik Sigg.

The employees take care of cultivation, sorting, packaging, and sales. Närpes cucumbers are delivered to other places in Finland and are on store shelves the day after picking. ”Finns buy a lot of domestic cucumbers. Our cucumbers stay juicy and fresh by being wrapped in plastic immediately after picking.”

Text: Michaela von Kügelgen

FACTS ABOUT SIGGPAC

Jan-Erik Sigg Ab grows Finnish cucumbers under the Siggpac brand. The number of employees varies during the year, but on average the company employs around 145 persons. The company sells cucumbers directly to wholesalers all around Finland. Major trading partners include, among others, Inex Partners, HL-Vihannes, and Fresh. Because of high domestic demand, Siggpac has no exports. Turnover is EUR 25-30 million.